Two petitioners have alleged that they paid a combined US$64,800 to individuals involved in an illegal scheme to secure Ghanaian service passports for people who did not qualify for the travel documents.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed the amounts in a statement issued on Sunday, November 8, 2026, detailing preliminary findings into what it described as an irregular Service Passport issuance scheme that had been operating illegally since 2023.

Foreign Ministry cancels 10 service passports over illegal issuance

According to the Ministry, the 2023 petitioner claimed to have paid US$29,000, while the petitioner in 2025 alleged that US$35,800 had been paid to those involved in the scheme.

The Ministry said: "The 2023 petitioners claimed he paid US$29,000.00, while the 2025 petitioner states that he paid US$35,800.00 to those involved in this criminal cartel."

The statement further disclosed that an investigative committee was established on October 13, 2025, following the receipt of the first petition on October 8, 2025, on the instructions of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The Ministry's preliminary findings identified 10 individuals who allegedly obtained Service Passports despite not meeting the eligibility requirements.

It stated that "indicted persons who did not qualify to be issued with Service Passports were issued the following Service Passports since 2023 after allegedly making illegal payments to a syndicate".

The individuals identified include Richard Safo-Agyare, Augustine Agyei Boateng, Juliet Amanfo, Rebecca Agyare, Prince Acheampong, Michael Asante, Tewodros Francis Kwame, Gyabah Anthony, Frederick Entsu and Bosompem Richard.

The Ministry provided their passport serial numbers and dates of issuance as part of its preliminary findings.

It also identified Alhassan Sumani, a junior Foreign Service Officer, as a key figure in the allegations.

According to the statement, Sumani was named in all the petitions as the alleged chief architect of the scheme and operated as a "goer-boy" in 2023 before being recruited into the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024.

The Ministry said the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yakubu Atanasia, and Sumani had both been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.

The Ministry said the allegations had prompted the Foreign Affairs Minister's "decisive and ruthless actions" following reports of "alleged corruption and rot in an irregular Service Passport issuance scheme".

The Ministry maintained that the measures were part of efforts to protect the integrity of Ghana's passport administration system and enforce its commitment to "integrity and zero tolerance for corruption".

See the full statement below:

The Foreign Ministry’s Statement on Passport Administration in Ghana and decisive actions carried out over the period.

For God and Country 🇬🇭 🙏🏾 https://t.co/jZuuWemEeh

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) November 8, 2026